One of the toughest lessons to learn is that in life things don’t always go the way you expect or want them to. This season, Utah State senior cornerback Quinton Byrd learned that the hard way.

As a freshman, he logged eight tackles, but his sophomore season was the highlight. He finished the year with 31 tackles and was tied for the team-lead with three interceptions. Those three interceptions came in a span of just five games. As a junior, he had 12 tackles in 13 games, three each coming at Hawai’i and against San Jose State.

“My freshman year, I was a pretty good student of the game, I caught on pretty fast,” Byrd said. “You have to take advantage of your opportunities because they’re limited. Not too many freshmen play right as true freshmen. You come in looking to play, and you need to take advantage of that.”

Shaver said the coaching staff relies on Byrd for his stability and consistency.

“The thing about Quinton is that he’s the same guy. He’s very even-keeled, never gets too high or too low,” Shaver said. “That’s what you need. I expect leadership, maturity and contribution in every position, which he does.”

As he’s gone through his career as an Aggie, Byrd has found his place and his role on the team.

“I’m known as the guy who does things right. I just tend to follow those tendencies. It’s the way I was raised by my parents. If things weren’t done right, it would be a problem at home. If it wasn’t done right I just had to continuously do it over again,” Byrd said. “That gets boring, so I just do it right the first time and knock it out.”

This year’s senior class is among the last group to have really experienced both sides of the Utah State football program. Byrd has done his part to help get the program turned around but credits the camaraderie of the team to the success.

“This is by far the best year we’ve had since I’ve been here. We have a better team, better coaches, everyone just took it up a notch,” Byrd said. “We’ve grown closer together as a team, and I believe that plays a huge part in our success on the field.”

As he works through rehabilitation, Bryd is anxious to get back on the field. He is looking forward to returning to Utah State for a fifth season and is doing everything he can to be ready.